The invention relates to an automatic installation, operating in particular in self-service mode, intended to allow the production of prints of photographs directly by the consumer or the end user, said photographs being stored in digital form, in particular on digital cards arising from digital photographic apparatuses. The expression printing of photographs is understood within the meaning of the invention to describe the production of snaps obtained according to the silver process, also dubbed the xe2x80x9cwet processxe2x80x9d.
The concept dubbed xe2x80x9cAPIxe2x80x9d standing for xe2x80x9cAdvanced Photographic Imagexe2x80x9d implements the principle of the digital storage of the images acquired. It has developed continuously since its inception. According to this concept, the snaps are stored in digital form, within a diskette, card, disc, and generally any digital medium, and no longer in an analogue manner on a sensitive negative film, which has to be developed.
The corresponding obtaining of the prints can be performed either by means of a thermal printer, the digital signals then being transmitted, possibly after digital reprocessing, to a thermal printer furnished with a xe2x80x9cdriverxe2x80x9d or suitable operating software, or are restored in a traditional manner on photosensitive paper after development or exposure, according to a well-known silver process.
Under this assumption, the digital images are exposed within an exposure system according to several known methods, by means of various components for the displaying of the image.
Among them may be mentioned:
point-by-point exposure, implementing a laser scan;
exposure per row of aligned points: this technology calls upon for example the implementation of fiber optic cathode ray tubes, but can also be implemented by means of DMD (Digital Micro Mirrors) systems in linear mode, as developed by TEXAS INSTRUMENTS;
finally, exposure can be carried out by means of a liquid crystal screen LCD.
The object of the invention is therefore to propose an automatic installation such as this which is able, in particular in respect of the consumer of such an API concept, to obtain in a relatively short time prints as desired of the photos of his choice, possibly reworked or even reformatted, and moreover at a competitive cost.
Accordingly, this installation comprises:
at least one reader of the digital medium on which the digital photos to be printed are stored, which reader is intended to read and to extract the digital data corresponding to the stored image or images which the user wishes to restore on a paper print;
a central processing unit, intended on the one hand, to manage the operation of the installation, and on the other hand, to cater for interaction with the user;
a facility for interaction between the central processing unit and the user, capable of being actuated by the latter, and intended to allow the latter, on the one hand to select within the digital medium inserted into the reader, the image or images of which he wishes to obtain a paper print, and, on the other hand, to carry out a possible reprocessing or even a reformatting of the said image or images then to bring about its (their) production on paper medium;
an exposure system for the selected digital image or images, which is associated with a facility for storing and for moving a photosensitive paper;
a chemical treatment unit, consisting of a plurality of juxtaposed baths, and furnished with a facility for automatic transfer of the developed photosensitive paper into the various baths;
a facility for drying the snap or snaps thus obtained after printing;
finally a receptacle for storing and for removing the snaps produced.
According to a characteristic of the invention, the installation furthermore comprises a payment or prepayment facility, intended to permit, after remittance by any means of the sum required, the production of the actual print or prints, said payment or prepayment facility being linked directly to the central processing unit.
Additionally and according to another characteristic of the invention, the facility for interaction consists of an assembly made up of a screen, keyboard and mouse or equivalent system of the touch screen type, making it possible to cater for real interaction between the installation and the user, and in particular, to permit the latter to view on said screen, the image or images to be restored, possibly reworked or reformatted.
According to the invention, the exposure system for the image or the images comprises:
a light source, on the optical path of which is positioned a transparent LCD liquid crystal screen, at the level of which are displayed the images to be restored;
a shutter intended to shut off on request the incident light beam emanating from the light source;
a projection and magnifying objective situated between the LCD screen and the photosensitive paper to be developed;
a linear polarizer situated between the light source and the LCD screen.
According to another characteristic of the invention, the installation is connected to the Internet network, so as to allow the conveying by this means of the photos to be printed, and also, the remote monitoring of the maintenance of the installation.
According to another advantageous characteristic of the invention, the installation is furnished with a scanner, linked to the central unit, and suitable for allowing the digitization of analogue photos or data, and as a corollary, their restoration, after possible reprocessing or reformatting, on paper medium.